The Atlanta Hawks hosted a myriad of players, headlined by UCLA’s T.J. Leaf and Syracuse’s Tyler Lydon, on Tuesday and they will do so again the following day. On Wednesday morning, the Hawks announced that six players will visit with the team for pre-draft workouts and the most prominent inclusion is Colorado guard Derrick White.
The rest of the list includes Cal guard Jabari Bird, Loyola-Chicago guard Milton Doyle, Gonzaga center Przemek Karnowski, Lehigh center Tim Kempton and MTSU forward Reggie Upshaw. With that said, White is seen with a first-round grade by many draft pundits and, given Atlanta’s picks at No. 19 and No. 31, his presence is noteworthy.
The 6’5 guard brings point guard skills to the table in a shooting guard’s body and he has been a late-rising prospect. White has a tremendous story, as he moved from a Division II background before breaking out at Colorado and his skill set is tantalizing.
White is a sneaky good athlete that plays with a tremendous basketball intelligence and that is always a good combination. In terms of skills, he is quite polished and, while there are concerns about his ultimate position in the NBA, White could serve as a secondary ball-handler at the very least.
Stay tuned.